In recent years, Statistics Canada deemed abortion data “unreliable” because too few clinics and hospitals reported. They even noted the absence of abortion data was “definitely a concern.”

More recently, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) took over responsibility for abortion statistics. Their report for 2007 and 2008, released last December, is riddled with categories labeled “unknown” because so few hospitals and clinics submit complete data.

By comparison, the new POWER study uses OHIP billing records and several different databases, making it more reliable than other recent data. This may account for a large discrepancy between the study’s and CIHI’s figures.

Campaign Life Coalition Youth used the minimum amount of abortion costs in Ontario given this statistical data, when in fact, this is an extremely conservative estimate.

Sources

(Bowles, Anastasia, National Post, March 7, 2011, Abortion Statistics Show Reality of a Land Without Restrictions)

(Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2008, Number of Induced Abortions Performed in Canada† in 2008, by Province/Territory of Report)

(Arthur, Joyce, The Pro-Choice Action Network, 2002, Abortion Clinics Are Better and More Cost-Effective Than Hospitals)

Update

According to LifeSiteNews.com, the Ontario government has quietly passed a bill blocking access to the province’s abortion data even with a Freedom of Information request. To read the full story, click here.